Die-case equipment for type-machines.



PATENTED MAR. 21, 1-905.

F. H. PIERPONT. I DIE GASB EQUIPMENT FOR TYPE MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 15.3904.

No. 785,375. Patented March 21, 1905.

NITED STATES PATENT O FRANK HIN MAN PIERPONT, OF HORLEY, ENGLAND,ASSIGNOR TO LAN STON MONOTYPE MACHINE COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA,PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF VIRGINIA.

DIE-CASE EQUIPMENT FOR TYPE-MACHINES. V

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 785,37 5, dated March21, 1905.

Application filed September 15, 1904:. Serial No. 224,599.

To whom it y COTWWW' assembled in the frame they will occupy and Be itknown that I, FRANK HINMAN PIER- retain the proper relative positions.More- PoNT, a citizen of the United States, residing over, in use theseparately-movable matrix- 5 at Horley, England, have invented certainblocks, with their conical centering-recesses,

, new and useful Improvementsin Die-Case have developed certaindrawbacks and defects Equipment for Type-Machines; andIdo herewhich itis one of the principal objects of this by declare the following to be afull, clear, invention toavoid or removesuch, for exand exactdescription of the same, reference ample, as the clogging of thecentering cavi- 55 being had to the accompanying drawings, ties, theenlargement and distortion of said forming a part of this specification,and to cavities, due to the fact that the conical centhe figures ofreference marked thereon. tering-pin frequently takes but a line bearingThe present invention relates to the conon one side of its seat, theabsence of means struction of die or matrix cases and the final wherebyhigh and low quads and spaces may 60 centering mechanism therefor, andis adapted be produced. The depth of drive required for 5 for use inconnection with type-casting and the matrix-cavities is such as thatmany reanalogous machines wherein a plurality of cuts are necessary, andowing to the reladies or matrices are associated together to be tivelysmall contacting-surface presented to acted upon by centering orpositioning dethe mold the latter soon becomes worn, ne- 5 vice-s in amanner to locate individual dies or cessitating frequent resurfacing andadjustmatrices opposite a station or mold common ment.

to the series; and it is specially designed for The invention consistsin the construction, use in connection with type casting andcomcombination, and arrangement of parts hereposing machines of the kindillustrated in inafter described, the novel features being 7 Patents No.625,998, of May 30, 1899, to specified in the claims.

5 J. S. Bancroft, and No. 633,088, of Septem- In theaccompanyingdrawings, illustrating ber 12, 1899, to Tolbert Lanston,both for ima preferred form of embodiment of the invenprovements in typecasting and composing tion, Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly inmachines. section, of the die-case or matrix-block and 75 It has beenusual heretofore to provide the the centering-plunger. Fig. 2 is an endele- 3 die-case with a frame to which the centering vation of a portionof the matrix-block, showmechanism is connected for adjustment anding'the location of one of the;clam1;)ing-bolts. in which is assembled aseries of independent Fig. 3 is a top plan view, and Fig. 4 a bottom andseparately-movable blocks bearing the plan view, of a section of thematrix-block. 0 characters. Usually each block has been pro- Fig. 5 is aperspective view of a section of the vided at its end opposite thecharacter with bottom or face plate. Fig. 6 is an end view a conicalcavity to receive the correspondof the centering-plunger. Fig. 7 is aperingly-shaped end of the centering-plunger by spective view of a type.means of which the selected block brought The same numerals designatelike parts in 5 to position by the centering mechanism is the severalviews.

5 4 finally centered and clamped upon the open The matrix-block ispreferably formed in end of the mold. Although highly satisfacthreesectionsto wit, a back or centering tory results have been obtained bythe use of plate 1, a front or faceplate 2, and an interdie-cases soconstructed,theirmanufactureand mediate or matrix plate 3-said sectionsbeing 9 maintenance is expensive as compared with secured together toform an integral structhe present system, due in part to the skill tureadapted to be inserted and held within required and time consumed injustifying the the die-case frames of the prior patents mencharacters onthe separate blocks so that when tioned, replacing therein the series ofseparate matrices and their supports heretofore employed. The die-caseframe and mold are indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1.

The matrix-plate 3 consists of a single piece of metal, preferablycopper or gun-metal, in one face of which the series of characterscomprising the font are driven or otherwise formed. The entire series ofcharacters may be driven in one or several operations by punchessuitably arranged and operated, or they may be driven in groups of asingle row, or otherwise. It is not deemed necessary to enter into adetailed description of the methods of mounting and securing the punchesfor this operation, as there are several ways in which it may be done,it being sufficient for present purposes to state that thematrixcavities are arranged and justified in rows in two directions,being spaced uniformly in one direction and differentially in the otherafter the plan described in the prior patents mentioned to accommodatethe two adjusting or centering systems there described. It may be noted,however, that the drive for the characters need not be so deep as withthe separate matrix-blocks, it being sufiicient if they are just deepenough for a good countersay .023 of an inch, which is a drive that thepunches will stand with safety. It is not essential that thematrix-plate should be in one piece, although such is preferred, as itis obvious it might be formed in sections each containing one or morerows of characters, said sections or bars being rigidly united andconstituting, in efiect, a single plate. Owing to the relatively shallowdrive, only a small portion or section of the character end of the typeis cast or otherwise formed in the matrix-plate 3, the end of thetype-body immediately adjacent the character and upon which it issustained being formed in the face-plate 2. This face-plate 2,preferably built up of a series of bars 4:, rigidly secured together, asby rivets or rods 5, or, if desired, composed of a single piece ofmetal, is provided with an opening 6 opposite and in register with eachmatrix-cavity. The openings 6 are slightly less in height columnwisethan the typebody to be produced and not quite so wide individually asthe unit of the character opposite which the opening is located, so thatthe cross-section of the end of the type bearing the character will beslightly less in area than the adjacent portions of the body, as

illustrated in Fig. 7, wherein the line my represents the face and asmall portion of the neck as formed or cast in the matrix-cavity inplate 3, while the line 1 designates the neck or portion formed in plate2, the remainder of the body being formed in the mold proper.

The face-plate 2 is preferably approximately one-eighth of an inch inthickness, so that by omitting the perforations 6 or forming recesses ofgreater or less depth therein at those points brought opposite the moldwhen quads or spaces are to be formed the latter can be made of anyheight desired, and said openings 6 may approximate in section thecharacter or the type-body, preferably the latter, and may be formed ona taper, as shown, to facilitate withdrawal after the cast.

Heretofore it has been possible in machines of this kind to cast quadsor spaces but .050 inch shorter than the character type; but with thepresent invention they may be .145 inch shorter or approximately thesame length as type-founders short quads. The danger or liability of thequads or spaces blocking up in printing is thus avoided. The face-plate2 being flat and hard, its contact with the mold will be firm anduniform, owing to the extended bearing-face presented, therebydiminishing wear and avoiding the necessity of frequent regrinding ofthe matrix-face of the mold, such as was incident to the use of separatematrix-blocks and very objectionable where adjustable molds areemployed. The block-plate 1 is equipped with aseries of frusto-pyramidalprojections 7, symmetrically disposed at equal distances apart in twodirections at right angles, thus presenting two series of parallelgrooves extending in transverse planes, from which any obstruction ordirt can be readily removed by means of a brush or other convenientimplement.

The centering-plunger 8, which effects the final centering of theselected matrix and holds it tightly in contact with the face of themold when the cast is being made, is equipped on its engaging surfacewith transverse wedge-shaped projections or ribs 9, extending parallelwith the two sets of grooves or recesses on the back plate 1 and adaptedto enter szfid grooves and in so doing to not only center but toaccurately position the matrixcavity. The opposing inclines on the backplate 1 and plunger 8 possess the advantages of the conical plunger andcooperating seat of the prior machines so far as the final centering ofthe matrix-cavity is concerned; but they possess an additional advantageor function in that they operate to fix the angular position of thecharacter in its relation to the mold, and thus preserve the properrelation of the character to the sides of the body upon which it isformed. This action is due to the fact that the gaging-surfaces arelocated or extended on lines radial to the axis or centering-point andat two or more points in fixed angular relation thereto. Thus theplunger not only accurately centers the matrix, but it corrects angulardisplacement of the character due to the twisting of the matrix-block.It is not essential that the projections or ribs 9 on the plunger shouldactually intersect at the center, as shown, for the same effect would beproduced if the portion within the dotted circle, Fig. 6, was omitted,in which case the four remaining ribs or projections would serve equallywell for positioning the matrix.

As applied to machines now in use the only.

change required in addition to the substituted matrix-block and plungeris a reduction in height of the mold by .095 inch in order to bring thetype to standard length.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. A matrix-block for type-machines such as described, provided with amatrix-cavity corresponding to the character and a small section of thebody adjacent thereto, combined with a mold the cross-sectional area ofwhose cavity is greater than that ofthe matrix-cavity.

2. The combination to form a sectional matrixblock for type machinessuch as described, of a matrix-section containing the drive, and ashoulder-section containing a perforation or cavity registering withthedrive and of smaller cross-section than the typebody.

3. A matrix-block for type-machines such as described, comprising threeplates or sections to wit; a matrix-section containing the drive, afront plate provided with an opening in register with the drive, and acentering or back plate applied to the matrix-section and provided withcentering means.

4. A matrix-block for type-machines such as described, provided with anintegral matrixsection containing the drive, and a sectionalshoulder-section.

5. A matrix-block for type-machines such as described, provided with amatrix-plate containing the drive anda front plate or section securedthereto and containinga shoulder-perforation registering with the drive,said lastnamed section being divided ona line perpendicular to the faceof the matrix-plate.

6. A matrix-block for type-machines such as described provided on itsrear face with a plurality of grooves in intersecting planes forcooperation with a ribbed centering-plunger.

7. A matrix-block for ty pe-machines such as described provided with aplurality of character-matrices symmetrically arranged in rows in twodirections and with a corresponding series of projections formingintersecting grooves or channels for the reception of the finalcentering devices.

8. A die-case or matrix-block such as described, provided with a seriesof characters and a com plemental series of projections symmetricallyarranged in rows in two directions.

9. A die-case or matrix-block such as described provided with a seriesof characters and a complemental series of pyramidal projectionssymmetrically disposed in rows in two directions.

10. A die-case or matrix-block provided with a series of characters anda complemental series of pyramidal projections symmetrically arranged inrows in two directions and adapted to move in two directions to bringany character opposite a centering-point in combination with acentering-plunger provided with two or more ribs or projections disposedon intersecting lines and adapted to enter between the projections onthe die-case or matrix-block, to position the selected character.

' 11. In combination with a multiple-character die-case or matrix-blockprovided with a series of pyramidalprojections symmetrically arranged inrows in two directions, of a centering-plunger provided with a pluralityof gaging surfaces or ribs registering with the projections in twodirections.

FRANK HINMAN PIERPONT.

\Vitnesses:

LESLIE G. WHEELER, WALTER E. ROCHE.

